CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two plans to get rid of feral pigs in South Carolina are getting a lot of attention as wildlife officials try to get the pesky animals under control.
Wild hogs have been in South Carolina since the Spanish brought them over in the 1500s, but now there's a big effort to rid the Palmetto State of them. Let's connect the dots.
Feral hogs are destroying crops, land and property all over South Carolina. They're also known to kill native species.
The State newspaper reports there is a growing debate over exactly how to get rid of them, with two main ideas coming to the surface.
One bill that already passed the House would issue permits for hunting hogs by helicopter for areas of 500 acres or more. Similar programs are already in place in Georgia, Texas and Louisiana, but some people are concerned about safety.
There's also a proposal to start up a competition that would split up a $500,000 prize for people who could kill the most hogs. But wildlife officials aren't on board, arguing that bounty approaches don't work.
The only thing everyone can really agree on is that there isn't a perfect solution, but lawmakers need to get something done to remove the feral hogs.
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